Vehicle sales rose 14.2 percent in November to 26,456 units from 23,162 units in the same month last year, two industry groups said Monday.
The Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. and Truck Manufacturers Association said in a joint report passenger car sales climbed 5.3 percent in November to 8,204 units from 7,790 units while demand for commercial vehicles increased 18.7 percent to 18,251 units from 15,372 units.
CAMPI president Rommel Gutierrez said the industry also surpassed 2020’s full-year sales performance by November, which also registered highest monthly sales in 2021.
“Surpassing our last year’s sales performance gives the industry a renewed hope that recovery is underway as restrictions started easing, and economic activities have resumed at improved levels. However, the industry remains cautious and on guard at the same time on the uncertainties brought by the COVID-19 mutations,” said Gutierrez.
The two industry groups said that on a monthly basis, sales also increased 17.2 percent from 22,581 units delivered in October. Commercial vehicle sales climbed 22 percent from 14,955 units while passenger car sales grew by 7.5 percent from 7,526 units.
This brought total sales in the first 11 months to 249,642 units, up by 22.7 percent from 195,197 units registered a year earlier. Passenger car sales grew 26.2 percent in the 11-month period to 76,813 units from 60,857 units, while orders for commercial vehicles jumped 21 percent to 163,829 from 135,340 units.
CAMPI said the shift to the digital platform helped the industry recover from the effects of the pandemic. Gutierrez said this shift to online sales and marketing methods and activities would definitely continue.
“This has become a viable strategy for the automotive industry to meet the needs of our stakeholders,” he said.